[Long Straddle]

Got my dealer installed factory hitch yesterday. Hooked up my box trailer for the first run towing. I'm impressed! I will have to get a 4" drop ball mount due to the height of the hitch. My trailer was empty, so only around 1000 lbs. The Ascent handled it well, both acceleration and braking handled the trailer with no issues.

 

[norway]

My hitch was factory installed and came with a drop receiver, they put it in the under cargo floor storage. Or did they include it and it isn't adequate?

 

[zulater]

My hitch was factory installed and came with a drop receiver, they put it in the under cargo floor storage. Or did they include it and it isn't adequate?

This!
There should be a drop mount included with the hitch.

 

[Subiesailor]

Dealer installed his Ascent didn’t come with a drop hitch in it. Dealer tech probably didn’t put the drop hitch in the car after install assuming the kit even came with one. They normally do not.

Plus every trailer is different a generic drop hitch might work might not depending on the trailer being used. Given he had the trailer I’m going to say he knows what he is doing and already knew he might need a different drop hitch once he checks squat when loaded and trailer tongue ride height

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Check the back... and check for these also...

My hitch was factory installed and came with a drop receiver, they put it in the under cargo floor storage. Or did they include it and it isn't adequate?

Dealer installed his Ascent didn’t come with a drop hitch in it. Dealer tech probably didn’t put the drop hitch in the car after install assuming the kit even came with one. They normally do not.

Plus every trailer is different a generic drop hitch might work might not depending on the trailer being used. Given he had the trailer I’m going to say he knows what he is doing and already knew he might need a different drop hitch once he checks squat when loaded and trailer tongue ride height

The drop hitch (no ball) is standard on all three hitch kits... L101SXC000, L101SXC001, L101SXC002.

If the dealer installed the Subaru hitch kit, and you do not find the following, you need to go back and get what you're missing. All of these parts are standard parts in all variants of the hitch kits:

• Drop hitch, no ball, usually still in a cardboard box, usually stored in the storage area behind the third seat, under the cargo floor.
• wired 7 pin connector with rain cap, left of hitch on hitch bar.
• wired 4 pin connector with rain cap, right of hitch on hitch bar. Should be greased under the cap.
• Trailer Brake harness wires - usually in your glove box.
• Hitch pin and retaining clip.
• (THIS one may be an SDC thing, and only apply to NY&NJ) Original bumper - should have been put in the hitch box and returned to you. (this is not the bumper cover - it's the metal and foam bumper that was behind it).
  

You can find the list of parts on page 2 of the instructions for every variant. Here's the v0 instructions:

• https://subaruonlineparts.com/docs/L101SXC000.pdf

 

[norway]

The drop hitch (no ball) is standard on all three hitch kits... L101SXC000, L101SXC001, L101SXC002.

If the dealer installed the Subaru hitch kit, and you do not find the following, you need to go back and get what you're missing. All of these parts are standard parts in all variants of the hitch kits:

• Drop hitch, no ball, usually still in a cardboard box, usually stored in the storage area behind the third seat, under the cargo floor.
• wired 7 pin connector with rain cap, left of hitch on hitch bar.
• wired 4 pin connector with rain cap, right of hitch on hitch bar. Should be greased under the cap.
• Trailer Brake harness wires - usually in your glove box.
• Original bumper - should have been put in the hitch box and returned to you. (this is not the bumper cover - it's the metal and foam bumper that was behind it).
• Hitch pin and retaining clip.

You can find the list of parts on page 2 of the instructions for every variant. Here's the v0 instructions:

• https://subaruonlineparts.com/docs/L101SXC000.pdf

My hitch was factory installed and they did not leave the original bumper/foam in the vehicle, I have everything else though. I asked the salesman about it at delivery and he didn't know what I was talking about. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to go through them to find out if I can get it or contact SOA directly. I take it yours was factory installed and they gave you the original bumper?

 

[Robert.Mauro]

My hitch was factory installed and they did not leave the original bumper/foam in the vehicle, I have everything else though. I asked the salesman about it at delivery and he didn't know what I was talking about. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to go through them to find out if I can get it or contact SOA directly. I take it yours was factory installed and they gave you the original bumper?

Ok, so, that's something interesting. Perhaps @Carl Abrams or @Jason can comment. I may have to change that item.

My accessories are "factory" installed in that they are not installed by the dealer. But, I ordered from NJ. NY and NJ dealers order through Subaru Distributors Corporation. "Port installed" accessories for SDC orders are not installed by SIA at the SIA accessories install location(s). They are installed at "SDC port", which is usually their upstate NY location. Mine were installed in Boston, which leads me to believe that SNE dealerships (New England area ones) also operate similarly.

Short version is, perhaps SIA isn't sending the original bumper. SDC on the other hand is (at least when I ordered mine), and mine sits on the side of my house in the box for the hitch kit.

 

[bverant]

Ok, so, that's something interesting. Perhaps @Carl Abrams or @Jason can comment. I may have to change that item.

My accessories are "factory" installed in that they are not installed by the dealer. But, I ordered from NJ. NY and NJ dealers order through Subaru Distributors Corporation. "Port installed" accessories for SDC orders are not installed by SIA at the SIA accessories install location(s). They are installed at "SDC port", which is usually their upstate NY location. Mine were installed in Boston, which leads me to believe that SNE dealerships (New England area ones) also operate similarly.

Short version is, perhaps SIA isn't sending the original bumper. SDC on the other hand is (at least when I ordered mine), and mine sits on the side of my house in the box for the hitch kit.

I would assume the point of storing the original bumper would be only in the case you removed the hitch from the vehicle? Seems to me that once installed, there's little need to remove it and, thus, little need to store extra vehicle parts. I may be missing something, though. :smile:

 

[Robert.Mauro]

I would assume the point of storing the original bumper would be only in the case you removed the hitch from the vehicle? Seems to me that once installed, there's little need to remove it and, thus, little need to store extra vehicle parts. I may be missing something, though. :smile:

Correct. Comes in handy if one gets rear ended or wants a tow hook hole or just doesn't want the hitch installed anymore.

Anyways, I got every part replaced for accessory installation, but that may also be entirely an SDC thing.

 

[MAGNUMB]

Nice rig!!!
Side note...Your current hitch might only be class 2 rated @ 3,500lbs?? Just by the looks of it.

 

[leky411]

The drop hitch (no ball) is standard on all three hitch kits... L101SXC000, L101SXC001, L101SXC002.

If the dealer installed the Subaru hitch kit, and you do not find the following, you need to go back and get what you're missing. All of these parts are standard parts in all variants of the hitch kits:

• Drop hitch, no ball, usually still in a cardboard box, usually stored in the storage area behind the third seat, under the cargo floor.
• wired 7 pin connector with rain cap, left of hitch on hitch bar.
• wired 4 pin connector with rain cap, right of hitch on hitch bar. Should be greased under the cap.
• Trailer Brake harness wires - usually in your glove box.
• Hitch pin and retaining clip.
• (THIS one may be an SDC thing, and only apply to NY&NJ) Original bumper - should have been put in the hitch box and returned to you. (this is not the bumper cover - it's the metal and foam bumper that was behind it).
  

You can find the list of parts on page 2 of the instructions for every variant. Here's the v0 instructions:

• https://subaruonlineparts.com/docs/L101SXC000.pdf

Same on my end the drop hitch without the ball was left in my trunk. They didn't leave the original bumper brace. I didn't ask because I would end up tossing it anyway. They did lose the hitch pin, but I never got around to calling them. I should get a locking one anyway.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Important Note for Hitch Owners

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR HITCH OWNERS:

There's no "yank hook" receiver under the rear bumper cover once the hitch is installed. There's still tie-down points under the car for flatbed towing though.



You can see one of the hooks installed in my (former) 2010 Outback here:

For the heck of it (or for when I go out to pull people out of snow drifts), I bought this from Amazon to make up for that (it also comes with a tow rope, a second shackle and locking hitch pin):

• https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B072V51TRC/

You can see it on my Ascent here:

 

[norway]

Nice rig!!!
Side note...Your current hitch might only be class 2 rated @ 3,500lbs?? Just by the looks of it.

If you mean the OP it looks like the Subaru hitch to me, which is Class 3, you can see the 7 pin connector on the left and the labeling next to it, looks like mine from memory.

 

[MAGNUMB]

If you mean the OP it looks like the Subaru hitch to me, which is Class 3, you can see the 7 pin connector on the left and the labeling next to it, looks like mine from memory.

Sorry, i meant the actual receiver and ball.

 

[Long Straddle]

The Subaru installation instructions that were linked to this post indicate that the drop hitch is not included. In the bill of materials it shows it but no reference number, e.g. x1 or x2, etcetera.... Also it is grayed out in the drawing. I'd say if you got one, lucky you... I didn't.... So off to the parts store I go ...

 

[Long Straddle]

Nice rig!!!
Side note...Your current hitch might only be class 2 rated @ 3,500lbs?? Just by the looks of it.

If you mean the OP it looks like the Subaru hitch to me, which is Class 3,
you can see the 7 pin connector on the left and the labeling next to it, looks like mine from memory.[/QUOTE

It is a class III.

 

[Carl Abrams]

My hitch was factory installed and they did not leave the original bumper/foam in the vehicle, I have everything else though. I asked the salesman about it at delivery and he didn't know what I was talking about. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to go through them to find out if I can get it or contact SOA directly. I take it yours was factory installed and they gave you the original bumper?

Hitches are port or dealer install - technically they're not factory install, because they're not put on in the actual original assembly process.

If you order out here in the big world, where the Port of Lafayette does the work on your car, the original bumper / foam is NOT left in the vehicle. It gets recycled. I would have thought that SDC / SNE did the same, but apparently not. And when our shop puts a hitch on, the bumper assembly is not left with the car, either. We have a big box out back that every so often the steel scrap guys come by and empty.

For that matter, if you order a car from Japan, the Port of Richmond is the one that puts the hitch on for us. (Crosstrek, Forester)